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Beginning of the Revive of Tomorrow
Beginning of the Revive of Tomorrow (2015) Written by Ryōgo Narita. Unofficial English translation by spitfireM21. Central 46 is the highest judicial organ in Soul Society, second only to the Soul King. Consisting of 40 sages and 6 judges, their numbers are recruited exclusively from the ranks of the noble families. Despite being a young girl, Amakado Nayura is one of the highest ranking sages, having inherited her father’s position as head librarian of the Great Spirit Book Gallery Database after he was killed by Aizen. She had also inherited his noble pride, believing it was the right of Central 46 to judge the fate of the Shinigami. She believed that’s how the world should be… …But her world slowly started to change after meeting a certain Shinigami. The Present – Central 46 Main Chambers, Underground Assembly Hall Nayura cannot move. Both of her legs are trapped - and certainly broken - under a pile of rubble in the Underground Assembly Hall. But perhaps it is the Quincy staring down on her that has frozen her in fear. ‘Why is this happening?’ Other injured sages around her curse how twisted the world has become. But Nayura knows that is not true. The world has not become twisted. Only now has she truly realized that it is Central 46 which has always been twisted. She remembers that day… Over 18 Months Ago – Central 46 Main Chambers, Underground Assembly Hall "Are those your answers? Hisagi Shūhei? Kira Izuru?" The judge’s angry shout rings through the Underground Assembly Hall. Central 46 has gathered today for a trial. The two men at the center of the chamber are suspected of assisting Tōsen Kaname and Ichimaru Gin in their betrayal. Aizen has already been defeated by Kurosaki Ichigo and has been sealed in Muken, but all other cases had been postponed until the massacred Central 46 had been reformed. Hinamori had been judged as the victim of brainwashing, and in place of a full punishment would only receive temporary monitoring. At first, Shūhei was also seen as a victim, but has ended up on trial due to his sympathizing comments towards Tōsen. Furthermore, he worsened his chances by bringing up unrelated matters, such as Central 46’s questionable judgment in the case of Tōsen’s friend’s murder. Though most of the sages felt Shūhei was a fool for his actions, he had caught Nayura’s interest. But Kira had caught her interest even more. She could understand Shūhei’s actions and loyalty towards Tōsen. But Kira spoke of his relationship with Gin in a detached, impersonal manner. He admitted that Gin had worked with Aizen, but also said something strange. Kira relayed that he wasn’t ordered to point his blade at Hinamori or Matsumoto, but rather that action was his own sin. He had even asked that his actions be removed from Gin’s list of crimes. Kira had admitted that Gin is a criminal, and that nothing could excuse his actions, but he also maintained that he had protected the Soul Society for centuries. “An interesting attempt at sophistry.” Nayura’s voice fills the stone chamber. “I’ll admit Ichimaru’s final actions do support the hypothesis that he intended to betray Aizen all along, but it does not erase his crimes.” Kira is momentarily surprised to see a child among the sages, but quickly retorts: “I do not intend to erase Gin’s crimes. But I will not allow him to carry crimes rightfully attributed to me.” The other sages grumble angrily in response to his comments, saying he asks for a cruel fate for speaking out. But Nayura is intrigued by his comment. Kira’s eyes tell her: ‘Don’t take away my sin.’ In the end, Kira and Hisagi received a reprimand but were not demoted or discharged, largely due to the lack of captain-level personnel. The Gotei 13 needed to return to normal operations as quickly as possible, and their powers were deemed necessary. Behind the scenes, several captain-class officers had also requested their return, although the two were never informed of this fact. Furthermore, Central 46 had other important cases to deal with, such as the question of the Vizard captains and Kurotsuchi’s murder of his own men. As there was no more time to spare on the case, the two men were released. Thus, Kira and Hisagi returned to work as proxy captains at Captain Commander Yamamoto’s discretion. … "Wait, Kira Izuru." Finally given his freedom, Kira heads toward the stairs but is stopped by Nayura. He addresses her casually at first, but corrects himself once he realizes who she is. Nayura says there is no need for formalities. And as if talking to herself, she lists Kira’s educational history, his parents (Kira Kagekiyo and Kira Shizuka), his favorite foods, his hobbies… "…Are you a stalker?" Kira asks, seemingly forgetting who he is speaking to. Nayura seems to ignore his question, instead pressing her own: "Recently the words and actions of the Shinigami have become very much like those of the Human World. Is this the influence of Kurosaki Ichigo?" She notices Kira’s dumbfounded look, and realizes she should explain. “I am Amakado Nayura, and I am the administrator and head librarian of the Great Spirit Book Gallery.” The Gallery forcefully collects and stores all the information in the Soul Society. It is well known by now that one of the reasons Aizen massacred the sages in Central 46 was to get information on the Hogyoku from the Gallery. Kira understands it’s no surprise she could have information on him. “Does the Gallery investigate every individual to such an extent?” he asks. “It’s only natural to do so, considering that we cannot cut corners when judging Shinigami in the name of the Soul King.” The young girl answers. Suddenly, she breaks out into a mischievous smile and says “You are the author of a serial novel published in Seireitei Communications, are you not? I do want to apologize to you. Your story really is quite the masterpiece.” Kira is further confused by her sudden shift in topic. “What relevance does that have?” "Oh, no relevance at all.” She replies, still smiling. “Well, please excuse my questioning, but what could you need to ask me if you already know everything about me?” “The Spirit Gallery doesn’t know everything about everyone. They can’t collect people’s inner thoughts or secret information. If we could manage that, the entire Aizen ordeal would have never happened.” “That much is true…” Kira admits. “But I don’t think things like my inner thoughts are very interesting." “Honestly,“ replies the girl, “I’m asking half out of personal curiosity.” Kira frowns. Having been told there’s no need for formalities, he flatly tells her the truth: “I don’t really appreciate my inner workings being picked apart for someone else’s amusement.” “Ah, but as I’ve said, it’s only half for amusement.” Her smile disappears. “The other half is for Central 46. Central 46 are the Soul King’s limbs, and the gatekeepers of the law. To fulfill this role, we must understand the Shinigami more deeply. Failure to do so will only result in our deaths at the hands of the Shinigami. My father might still be alive if Central 46 had understood the Shinigami better…” she briefly begins to look emotional. “No… Aizen would still have killed him... But maybe things would’ve turned out slightly different…” She pauses to compose herself again. “Central 46 has made several irrational decisions in the past that have pitted Shinigami against one another, favored the nobles and their politics, and forced blame on common men, to only name a few. Finally, their irrational decision to execute Kuchki Rukia, despite several captain’s objections, was accepted as just another Central 46 whim. Actually, rather than accepting, it seemed that the Shinigami had simply given up resisting the council.” "I see…" Kira remembers the incident surrounding Rukia’s execution, and the first time he set foot into Central 46. He was initially greeted by the pristine illusion created by Aizen’s zanpakuto, but when it was dispelled he saw a sea of dead bodies and blood. Nayura’s father must’ve been among them. Finally the girl looks him in the eyes and asks him her question: "Why didn’t you blame everything on Ichimaru Gin?" Kira remains silent as Nayura continues speaking. “Everything had been a setup from the beginning. From the moment you joined the 3rd Division. No, probably even before that. We now even believe that the Hollow attack during the Academy training session was part of this plot. Wouldn’t it be easier to shift the blame completely on Gin?” Kira returns a somber look. "…It’s the opposite. The complete opposite. Forcing everything on Gin… that is an even heavier burden… A burden that I cannot possibly carry." Nayura asks him a few more questions before letting him leave. She still didn’t understand him completely, but knowing there were things Kira himself couldn’t process properly either, she decides not to dig further. Instead, Nayura decides that she will try to understand more more about the Shinigami and the Human World. … She grew accustomed to longer walks, and took to visiting a tea house in the Seretei. Kira saw her there too, and knowing her true identity he tried to intervene when he saw her being taught inappropriate games by Kyouraku and Matsumoto. Though he quickly tried to stop the situation, it turned out Kyouraku already knew her identity himself. Nayura learned more about the Rukongai and Human World, surprising her peers who confined themselves to the noble district. Still, she made sure to remain neutral, never backing the Shinigami and Rukongai citizens too much. She was only one person, but she was determined to try and change Central 46 over time. She spent months quietly learning until she abruptly learned two facts: First, the Vandenreich, an army of Quincy, has attacked the Sereitei. And secondly, Kira Izuru has been killed in action by a Sternritter. The Present – Central 46 Main Chambers, Underground Assembly Hall Central 46 was in a precarious position. The second attack by the Vandenreich - an empire created in the shadows of The Seireitei – had inverted the city into Vandenreich itself. Such an invasion had been beyond the imagination of the sages of Central 46. In the previous war a thousand years ago, the Quincies had never stepped into the Central 46 assembly hall or living quarters, which were hidden deep underground. Therefore, those places had escaped the corrosion by shadows. That said, Central 46 was still powerless to a direct attack. The Captain-Commander had offered the services of the 1st Division, but Central 46, in their arrogance, turned down the offer because they trusted their personal guards the most. Maybe Kyouraku’s mumbling of "Can you protect yourselves?" made them stubborn. Maybe the milder sages, like Nayura, felt it was more important to protect Reiōkyū. Whatever the case, most sages believed their own guards and seals would protect them. That was common sense. But common sense was torn to pieces by a lone attacker. A bespectacled Quincy with a leopard-print tattoo on the right side of his face stands among the fallen bodies. ”I’m surprised there’s not even a single captain protecting this place.” He relaxes his dagger as he looks over the whimpering survivors. “Maybe they’re all body doubles? I thought I could make myself look good by taking down a captain or something, but I guess that was too naive, huh." “You are a fool…” Stammers one sage. “These guards are among some of the best…” The Quincy interrupts with a disappointed look. “What? Best? They’re not even Gotei 13 soldiers! There is nobody here except bourgeoisie who are ignorant of the real world.” The sage, offended, tries to stand. “Ignorant? Us? You came here to squash us because we are the centre of The Seireitei, didn’t you?” The Quincy stabs the old man as he corrects him. “I wasn’t ordered to attack you. I simply came to gain information on the Hogyoku from the Gallery, of my own accord. Yes, the great Shaz Domino will do the Hogyoku a favor and make good use of it." Shaz Domino was originally a false Qunicy made by Sternritter V, Gremmy Thoumeaux - The Visionary. In other words, he was nothing more than an imaginary product like Guenael Lee, The Vanishing Point. However, thanks to his ability, The Viability, Shaz was able to transform himself into a reality. Allowing him to absorb reishi from his surroundings to repair his own body, his ability gives him regeneration powers that surpass those of a Vollständig or even those of a Hollow. As Shaz lost parts of his body in battle, the parts originally created by Gremmy’s imagination would regenerate as parts created by reishi. Eventually, all the imaginary parts were replaced by a physical body, allowing him to escape Gremmy’s control. Gremmy claimed he didn’t care and left the matter up to Yhwach. Yhwach decided, maybe on a whim, to give him the Greek letter Sigma, and welcomed Shaz as a Sternritter. His power, The Viability, was simply renamed The Stigma (lit. Holy Scar) to fit the letter. Even so, from a Quincy standpoint, his undying existence could really be seen as a ‘holy scar’ carved into the world. To repay his debt to Yhwach, Shaz had attacked the Research and Development Institute with Pepe, but had decided to flee from Kurosaki Ichigo’s attack. He had been surprised by Kurosaki’s power. Shaz reasoned that had he stayed he would’ve been too occupied regenerating, and would have risked being sealed by the researchers in the meantime. In any case, Shaz was determined to prove he wasn’t some byproduct. He’d gain a power greater than Gremmy’s, and the Hogyoku was a power fit for his undying body. He’d heard the Hogyoku could eliminate the border between Hollow and Shinigami, and even allowed them to fuse. If Shaz had such a power he could even become a Hollowfied Quincy. He’d conjectured his undying body could suppress the Hogyoku’s rejection and the Hollow elements poisonous to a Quincy. He reasoned that reclaiming the existing Hogyoku from Aizen was probably next to impossible, and was unable to find any traces of the Hogyoku in the Research and Development Institute. So, his next plan was to learn how to create a new Hogyoku from information in the Great Spirit Book Gallery Database. And that’s where stands now. ”Who is the head librarian?” Shaz asks, knowing the materials were heavily sealed after the Aizen incident. An old man points to Amakado Nayura, hoping to be spared himself. "Thanks.” He says, stepping forward. “But you’re one hell of an asshole for selling out your own comrade. Go die." Shaz stabs the man in his neck and moves towards Nayura. He’s surprised to find a young girl amongst all the elderly. He mockingly asks her: “So, you’re playing judge too, girl?” Her legs trapped under rubble, Nayura looks around helpless. Many sages are injured, but even those without injuries are curled up like scared children. She thinks to herself '….Maybe we were really only playing judge. The Shinigami were quite the adults to play along with our ridiculous games.' She starts laughing aloud, "Hahaha… This really takes the cake. I have no objections." Shaz grimaces. “What’s so funny?” "I simply just realized how stupid we look.” She replies, still laughing. “Finally realizing we are powerless while on death’s door is just too ridiculous." Nayura continues talking to herself while Shaz looks on. "Yes, we were simply scared. Simply frightened. Not of the Quincies, mind you. We were scared of the Shinigami… We, Central 46, were scared of changing values. We were terrified of being left behind by the Shinigami, who kept evolving and interacting with the Human World. That’s why we tried to stop their evolution by declaring our thoughts to be absolute. Really, it’s laughable! Calling ourselves the eyes of the Soul King!? When even the Soul King continued to accept the changing world without punishing it!" Her voice reverberated in the silence, broken only by muffled explosions far above ground. Shaz shrugs his shoulders, thinking to himself ‘Fear has made her lose her mind. Now, how do I make her undo the seal? Do I need her finger print? Her veins? Her retina? Her blood? Her soul?’ With a sneer he readies his dagger, preparing to cut off her legs to make her easier to carry. Amakado closes her eyes and braces herself for the pain. But the pain doesn’t come. She opens her eyes and instead sees Shaz’s surprise at the Shinigami that has sliced off his dagger carrying arm. Shaz registers the pain and leaps back. He begins rapidly healing himself as he slides to a stop, absorbing reishi from his surroundings. Rubble and walls near him turn to dust. His arm is regenerated in seconds. The Shinigami speaks in a somber tone: “Your regeneration truly is like a Hollow’s, just as the Research and Development Institute scientists had said.” "Tch… Who the hell are you?" spits back the Quincy. Shaz realizes the Shinigami is in a different league from the Central 46 guards. “What’s your name, Shinigami?” "…I’m no longer anyone.” He replies solemnly. “Raise your head… Wabisuke." Nayura recognizes the man is Kira Izuru. It was reported he was mortally wounded during the first Vandenreich attack. She’s happy he has survived his wounds, but his skin looks eerily pale. She can feel his reiatsu but it’s surprisingly quiet… almost dead. "…Sorry.” Kira glances back to the trapped Librarian. “I did not come here to save you. Even so, I am happy I came in time." “Are you really Kira?” Amakado asks the man as he approaches. The man shakes his head. "That man is dead... I’m simply… a Shinigami." The Shinigami lifts the rubble covering Nayura with one arm and swings it effortlessly towards Shaz as if it weighs nothing. Shaz hastily avoids the debris with a grimace. Nayura is shocked. “Have you always had such strength..?” she asks. The Shinigami is gone in a flash. Several Days Ago — Research and Development Institute, Captain’s Quarters Kira snaps to consciousness in a cold sweat. The last thing he remembers is being in a situation he would not survive. Was he healed by Inoue-san? Or Captain Unohana? No. He hears a voice opposite of those women. "Can you hear me, Kira Izuru?" The cackling unmistakably belongs to Kurotsuchi Mayuri. Kira realizes he can’t move his body. More troubling, he can’t feel his own life force. "Oh, you are definitely dead, Kira Izuru. You have no pulse. But rest assured, that’s all according to plan. You really do make a great test subject. You continue to reject your own value as naturally as breathing, yet you pathetically cling to this world. That’s why you have accepted all the changes to your body." The Captain continues, “I have increased your reiatsu, physical strength, and your toughness. After all, it’d be boring if you broke again right away, no?" Indeed, Kira cannot feel his pulse, yet does feel his stronger reiatsu. But where is this reiatsu coming from? Mayuri answers this question before he can even ask. “You see, Kira Izuru, normally I would just leave the vanishing souls of fallen soldiers alone, but with so many dead the influx of souls would upset the balance between worlds. I took the liberty of stitching your body and spirit back together by using the souls of the fallen seated officers scattered about your carcass. I’ve heard you like carrying burdens. Inherit their lives as much as you like. There’s no need to thank me. You will pay me back by working." The Present – Central 46 Main Chambers, Underground Assembly Hall Kira stares down the lone Sternritter, who has grown visibly perturbed. “I have a message for you from the Research Institute President: "Did you think you could pass yourself off as dead with that human body?" Shaz is confused. “How touching. Your Captain wants to avenge his fallen subordinates.” “That couldn’t be less correct, but I don’t feel I have time to explain Captain Kurotsuchi to you. He told me that he’s already done studying Quincies, and that he has no interest in someone whose only ability is being difficult to die.” Kira reads his weapon. “You are to serve as a trial run, and I am free to do as I see fit.” Dead yet moving, carrying the souls of the subordinates he couldn’t protect, Kira is determined to fight to protect the only shard of dignity left in his dead body. As Shinigami of the Gotei 13, it is his duty to strike down the enemies of Soul Society. Kira extends his zanpakuto to the floor and forgoes the incantation. He does not need it. “Hado #58, Tenran.” An incredible swirling gust of wind blasts Shaz through the chamber wall and into the Central 46 living quarters. Shaz regenerates quickly with a perturbed look. “Judging from your power you must be a Captain yourself, huh?” He launches several daggers at the Shinigami, but Kira reflects them with one motion of his zanpakuto. One dagger lands next to Shaz. He quickly grabs it, but finds it is much heavier when he tries to pick it up. "I see.” The Quincy smirks. “Your zanpakuto makes everything it slices heavier?" Kira remains deadly serious. "…That’s why it’s a pain to fight opponents who use projectile weapons." “Shaz smiles. ‘I’ll win as long as I don’t get too close…’ But Kira heaves a sigh and outstretches his palm as a red light begins to glow “Hado #31, Shakkahou.” Bolts of burning energy rocket from his hand. “Damn!” Shaz hurries to evade the fireballs, reflecting the last one away with a reishi-filled dagger. The fireball slams to the floor and explodes. In a flash Kira is right in front of him. Not caring if he burned himself in the process, Kira had hid in the smoke and leapt through the explosion using shunpo. Shaz desperately avoids being cut. Kira does not hesitate, but unleashes another Tenran spell. The tornado fans the room full of flames. Shaz briefly loses sight of Kira, but suddenly senses him above. Surprised by Kira’s suicidal-like actions as he dives straight into the Tenran tornado, Shaz reacts too late -- Kira slashes his arm. Shaz manages to protect his arm with Blut Vein but knows each cut will make his arm heavier, until he can no longer stand. It is already a burden. He quickly chooses to amputate his own arm. Kira is caught off guard by the Quincy’s lack of hesitation. Taking the chance, Shaz circles Kira with hirenkyaku and manages to kick the back of his zanpakuto, forcing the Shinigami off balace. Shaz’s arm is already reforming itself. He fills his dagger with reishi to strike the finishing blow, but suddenly his and Kira’s bodies are pierced by countless pieces of something. They both crash to the floor. Shaz vision blurs… “It feels like I've been stepped on by a giant...” He begins to heal but his body is being pressed to the floor. He looks toward Kira who stands up, coughing up blood. “You bastard…” He realizes the Shinigami had used the second Tenran spell to lift chunks of rubble into the air, and had then used his gravity weapon on the debris before closing in from above. ‘Impossible.’ The Quincy was astonished. ‘What Speed.’ He coughs blood as he speaks "You… bastard… if you slipped up… you would’ve died too…" Kira walks up to the struggling Shaz. “I’m already dead…” He slashes his foe several more times. Shaz yells in pain as his body breaks under its own increased weight. Shaz’s broken bones begin regenerating, but the weight doesn’t disappear. It becomes an endless cycle of healing and snapping. He continues to scream in pain as the Shinigami stands over him. "It seems you cannot die…” says Kira. “In this case, it’s hard to tell which of us is worse off." Shaz’s thoughts race. Maybe the weight would disappear if he could destroy and regenerate his entire body? But right now his body is automatically regenerating the same bones and flesh over and over again. Shaz sinks further and further into the ground, partly from the weight, but mainly because he cannot stop absorbing the reishi from the ground underneath him to repair his body. Kira continues in a somber tone as the Quincy begins to sink from his view. "In the Human World, it seems there’s something called the mantle deep below the ground… I wonder if there’s anything underneath the ground of the Soul Society." “DAMN YOU, LIFELESS SOUL REAPER! I will have your head! The entire Soul Society will pay! Every treacherous, worthless Shinigami! I can not die…!” Unable to move and constantly absorbing the ground underneath and now around him, Shaz sinks deeper and deeper. His words fade to echoes. Although earlier Kira had said he was no longer anyone, he leans to look down at Shaz and calls out, “I am Kira Izuru. If you’re going to curse someone, please only curse the man named Kira Izuru." … Nayura calls out to Kira after Shaz has sunk so deep his shouts could no longer be heard. "You’re gravely injured…" Her concern is genuine despite her own injuries. "…It’s alright.” Kira brushes off her comment. “I’m already dead, and Captain Kurotsuchi made me very tough." “I don’t understand.” The young girl is puzzled. “What do you mean, dead? And why did you come here to save the likes of us?” Kira repeats himself: “I am sorry, but I did not come here to save you. But please, you should not refer to yourself and the Central 46 in such a self-depreciated way.” But we are worthless.” She refutes, “…unable to do anything at a time like this.” The Shinigami stands over her with his bent zanpakuto in hand. “But you might be able to do something in the future. Isn’t that enough?” He still wears the same somber expression he arrived with. “The one without worth is me. Even so, I cling to the Gotei 13. The only thing I can do now is protect those that do have worth...That is my duty..." he looks off to the exit of the chamber. The sounds of the war reverberate from above. He can sense battles taking place across the city. “But you do have worth!” Cries the librarian. The Chamber is quiet again, and Kira starts to leave. “Where are you going?” Her voice echoes. “To fight.” “Why?” Kira pauses and looks back. "I’ve lost everything. Only the fact that I am a Shinigami remains. No matter what else might be taken from me that fact won’t change." He turns again to leave. Nayura understands she has no right to stop him, especially being a sage from Central 46. That’s why she only allows herself one selfish wish as a young girl: “Kira!” she calls after him once more. "…Come back alive! Or else I won’t forgive you!" He does not pause. "I keep telling you, I am already dead. I won’t ask you to understand. This is my sin towards you. I would never ask you to forgive me." Kira speaks as if to say he will never forgive himself. Hearing those words, Nayura feels she understands Kira a little. ‘Sin is the one thing tying him and the world together. By continuing to carry sins, he manages to tie himself to the world. That’s why…’ She smiles. "No, I’ll forgive you!" "…What?" This time he pauses. "Even if you do not come back unharmed, I will forgive you under jurisdiction of Central 46. And if you don’t, I’ll raise up you as a hero who risked his life to protect us, higher than Kurosaki Ichigo! I’ll put you on the cover of Seireitei Communications! Be prepared! If you don’t like that, you’d better come back alive!" Izuru is dumbfounded by her words. "…I feel I’ve truly experienced Central 46’s arrogance just now…" He lets out a heavy sigh. "I’ll see what I can do… Being treated like that is something I really will not allow over my dead body." ... A few hours pass. Kira has left and Nayura has healed her own legs with Kaidō. The ground has been shaking violently for a short while now. It’s like the world itself is crumbling. The sages mutter and whisper to one another. "Perhaps the Soul King is…?" Nayura understood. If the Soul King was defeated by the Quincy King, then Soul Society, the Human World, and even Hueco Mundo would crumble. The sages were scared. Some were screaming this must be a dream. The world they believed in would turn to dust. Central 46 has no power in such a situation. Even so, she remembered Kira’s words. "This is no time to despair!" Nayura stands up and shouts in a thunderous voice. "If we don’t act at a time like this, what’s the point of being nobles!? What are the point of Soul Society’s laws!?" The sages look at each other but don’t have any strength left to oppose her. “We’ll order the remaining citizens to evacuate.” Shouts the young librarian. "Then we’ll open up the large Central 46 living quarters as an evacuation site.” The sages scramble about to follow her orders. ‘We have to change. We have to move forward with the Shinigami. To signal to Kira that the people he protected today indeed had worth.’ ‘To prove that his actions and therefore his existence is not worthless, Central 46 must start moving as a new system - even though the world might end in the next few seconds.’ ‘To prove that the people the Shinigami protect are definitely not worthless.’ ‘To prove to the world that their actions indeed held meaning.’ Category:BotRoT